Towards a Framework for Sustainable Spatial Development in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The more complex a problem is, the more unlikely it is a simple answer will be found for it. The problems surrounding sustainable spatial development in central and eastern Europe are exceedingly complex. Parallel to European integration and globalisation, the interdependence between territorial entities, between various sectoral policies impacting on the territory as a whole, and between various levels of government sharing responsibility for a particular territorial unit is growing. What makes spatial development so important in this context is the fact that all these trends take on tangible shape in the space in which we live and that it is here that the integrated approach to sustainable development actually has to be put into practice. Economic, social and environmental developments might have diverse origins but they all leave their footprints on the surface of the earth. The way we use land provides a complex picture of the economic, social and environmental conditions in which we live. Archaeologists can tell a lot about the lives of ancient people just by studying the ruins of houses, villages and cities. Spatial planners look more towards the future and ask how our cities and regions will need to look if sustainability is to be possible. In this context the outline and discussion of visions for spatial development and of strategies for their implementation have priority.